Letter-box.



Patented Oct. 2.2, |90I'.A

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EDSON W. PHILLIPS, OF OASSADAGA, NEW YORK.

LETTER-Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 685,058, dated October 22, 1901.

Application nea February 11, 1901. serial No. 46,932. ci@ model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDsoN W. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cassadaga, in the county of Chautauqua andState of New York, have invented'a new and useful Letter-Box, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to letter-boxes, and has for its object to provide an improved de- Vice of this character which is arranged for.

containing mail-matter tol be delivered and collected and also to arrange vfor displaying a signal to indicate to the collector that the box contains matter to be collected. It is further-more designed to arrange for conveniently locking the lid of the box and also to maintain the matter to be collected separate from that which has been delivered to the lbox by the deliveryman.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as -will be hereinafter more fully described,'shown 'in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed outin the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minordetails may be made Within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In'the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a letter-box embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof looking at the back of the box and illustrating the manner of supporting the signal in its elevated position. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the manner of locking the lid. Fig. 4 isa detail transverse sectional viewtaken on the 4line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Y Y

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1v designates the body of the box, which is substantially rectangular in shape and haspdownwardly and forwardly inclined top endedges. A vsuitable cover or lid 2 is hinged to the back of the box, as shown at 3 in Fig. 3 of the drawings,and is provided with a pendent Inargin'al flange 4 to embrace the box and form a comparatively tight joint therewith. It is designed to have the owners name placed upon the exterior of the lid, and the latter is inclined downwardly, so as to edectively expose the name and render the same visibleat a distance from the box.

For locking the lid of the box there is provided a locking member in the form of a rock shaft or rod 5, which is mounted upon the inner side of the front of the box and is projected through one end thereof, where it is formed into a crank 6, having a suitable knob or handle l7 for convenience in rocking the rod. The inner end of the rod terminates about midway of the box and is provided with a substantially radial catch-finger 8, (shown in Fig. 3,) designed to be engaged with the slot of a keeper 9, whichis pendent from the lid. When the lid is closed, the keeper isv disposed between the rock-rod and the front of the box and the rod is rocked, so'as to throw the catch-finger forwardly and into the slot or opening of the keeper, whereby thelid is locked against being accidentally opened by wind or otherwise.

To prevent accidental turning of the handle of the locking-rod, there is provided a spring-catch 10, which has its rear end fix edly connected to the exterior of the adjacent end flange of the lid, from which it inclines laterally outward and is then bent laterally inward into a guide-pin 11,which passes loosely inward through a perforation in the ange and is then bent laterally into a stop 12 for engagement with the flange to prevent outward displacement of the catch. When the crank-handle is swung forwardly to lock the lid,'the radial arm of the crank slides vover the catch, which yields to the crank,

and when the latter clears the'outer end of s the catch the latter springs outwardly intol its 'normal position, with its guide pin or shoulder against the crank-arm, whereby the latter is held against accidental rearward movement. The catch may be pressed in,-

wardly to permit of the crank being swung backwardly to release the lid of the box.

In order that the collector may be advised as to whether or not there is matter to be c ollected in the box, there is provided a signal 13 in the form of a flag, metallic plate, or

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other suitable device, which is carried by a rod or arm 14:, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to one end of the box and is designed to be heldin an upright position, so as to display the signal above the top of the box, which is designed to indicate that the box contains mattei' to be collected.

For mounting the signal-rod upon the box there is provided a bracket 15 in the form of a metallic plate, which is suitably secured to one end of the box, preferably that end next to the handle of the locking-rod. This plate is slit vertically from its upper edge and has its front portion bent downwardly into a bearing sleeve or eye 16 for the pivotal reception of a lateral pivot-pin 17, carried by the lower end of the signal-rod. The rear end of the plate is bent laterally outward into a flange 1S, forming, with the body of the plate, an angular socket or seat for the reception of the rod in its vertical or upright position. To hold the rod in its vertical position, there is provided a laterally-offset hook or finger 19, carried intermediate of the ends of the rod and located between the latter and the box and also disposed so as to receive theadjacent end iange of the lid between the tinger and the rod, as best indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, whereby the lid locks the signal in its displayed position. When the lid is raised to permit of the letters being collected, the lid is disengaged from the signal and the latter swings downwardly by gravity into the` position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, which position indicates that there is no mailmatter to be collected.

As hereinbefore set forth, it is also designed to maintain separate the matter delivered and the matter to be collected, and this object is attained by means of a letter-holding device 20, which rises from the bottom of the box at a point adjacent to the back thereof and in clines upwardly and forwardly therefrom, so as to cooperate with the back and for-m a pocket for the reception of letters and other mail-m atter which is designed to be collected, and is thereby held separate from such matter as may be deposited within the box by the deliveryman. The holder is also designed to hold letters independently of the back and is preferably formed from a single length of wire bent into substantially U shape, with its extremities passed through perforations in the bottom of the box and bent to firmly embrace said bottom, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings. The opposite sides of the holder are bent and then rebent to form the respective pairs of front and rearjaws 2l and 22 for the reception of letters to be collected. The intermediate portion of the wire is bent into such shape as to form a back for the support of the letters. By having this holder located at the back of the box it does not take up much room and leaves the greater portion of the box free for the reception of the mail delivered.

1. A letter-box, having a hinged door, an internal keeper carried bythe door, thelatter having a marginal flange embracing the box, a rockin glockin g-rod mounted upon the inner side of the box and projected through one side thereof, the projected end having a crankhandle, and the inner portion having a substantially radial catch for engagement with the keeper, and a spring-catch for the crankhandle, formed by a spring having one end connected externally to the flange and inclined outwardly therefrom toward the crankhandle, and provided with a terminal lateral guide-pin passing loosely through a perforation in the iiange,lthe crank-handle working in frictional contact with the spring, and the pin thereof forming a stop to prevent backward movement of the crank-handle.

2. A letter-box, having a hinged lid, a ver tically-swinging signal mounted upon the box, and a detachable supporting connection bed tween the signal and the lid when the former is in an upright displayed position.

3. A letter-box, having a hinged lid, a vertically-swinging signal mounted upon the box,

and an intermediate supporting device carL ried by the signal and constructed for engagement with the lid in the elevated position of the signal.

4. A letter-box, having a hinged door, a vertically-adjustable signal, and a support; ing connection between the door and the signal when the latter is in its displayed position.

5. A letter-box, having a hinged lid, pro-4 vided with a marginal iiange, and a signal pivoted to swing vertically upon the box, and provided with an intermediate laterally-offset finger or hook, which is received between the ange and the box in the elevated position of the signal.

6. A letter-box, having a hinged lid, a vertically-swin ging signal-rod pivoted tol one end of the box, a signal carried at the outer free end of the rod, and a laterally-offset outwardly-directed finger carried by an intermediate portion of the rod and arranged for engagement by the lid in the elevated displayed position of the rod.

7. A letter-box, having a hinged lid, provided with a marginal flange, a bracket upon lI IO one external end of the box, and provided with a bearing-eye, a vertically-swinging signal-rod, having a terminal lateral pivot-pin mounted in the eye, a signal at the opposite tom of the boX adjacent to one side thereof, In testimony that cla-im the foregoing as with the body of the holder inclining upwardly my own I have hereto affixed my signature in and away from the adjacent side of the box and the presence of two witnesses.

also cooperating therewith yto form a mail-re- EDSON W. PHILLIPS; ceiving pocket, and the sides of the holder Witnesses:v v being bent and rebent into pairs of front and MARVIN MGLINTOGK;

rear jaws for the reception of mail-matter. R. C. GRIGGS.- 

